Thorny With a Chance of Roses
by SociallyInept
Summary: Ororo bails Laura out of trouble at the mansion, but not without a price. Are Storm's terms too steep for Laura to handle, or will she blossom?
1. An Agreement

Title: Thorny With a Chance of Roses

Fandom: X-Men: Evolution

Characters: X23, Storm/Ororo Munroe

Prompt: #70, Storm

Rating: G

Summary: Ororo bails Laura out of trouble at the mansion, but not without a price.

Author Notes: I'm back. I'm down with medical issues for this entire summer and tired of drawing, so I'm reviving my old fanfic 100 claim on X23/Laura. This is the first thing I've written in over a year, and it shows. I've changed a few things- I'm trying to make Laura a little less personable than I have in the past, among other things- but I hope you'll still find aspects to enjoy in my writing.

* * *

Laura skidded smoothly around a corner in the mansion, and spotted Ororo Munroe slightly too late. The resulting collision sent plant soil and fertilizer everywhere, and both women fell in a heap on the floor.

"Hello, Laura. Why are you running and from whom?" Ororo asked conversationally as they extricated their limbs from each other. Laura looked up at her through her dark hair, eyes wide.

"Don't tell Logan. I have already filled my quota of violent mishaps for the month and he will get angry at me if I go over it."

"What did you do?" Ororo said, resigned to another social disaster that would require an adult's supervision in fixing. It was her turn to be the ombudsman, Hank and the Professor had just reminded her last week.

"I went over it," Laura, still on her hands and knees on the floor, crawled over to the corner she'd just turned and peeked around it. "I am being pursued. Four teenagers are mad at me. They are slow but persistent in chase, I have discovered."

Ororo digested this as she rose to her feet and brushed the soil off of her gardening clothes. "How far over your violence quota have you gone, child?"

Laura stared off into space for a moment as she counted in her head. "Probably very. It is hard to attach a point system. They are younger mutants, so they would be worth less points. One is Amara. She would probably be worth fewer points then Rahne due to Rahne's sense of smell and control of her lycanthropic capabilities-"

"Yes, but what exactly did you do to them?"

Laura at least had the grace to look mildly contrite. "If you put a pink shirt in the washing machine with blue pants, everything will turn purple."

"But why would four people be mad at you for that?" Ororo coaxed the story out of Laura as angry voices drew nearer. Apparently, Laura had decided to try doing laundry again even though she was banned from it. Instead of using her own clothes, she did a test run with whatever clothing she found laying in the various bathrooms in the wings of the mansion. Her chief calculation error had been in assuming that three teenage girls and Bobby cared as little about clothing as she did, and now there was an impromptu angry mob after her.

"You can't run forever!"

"My favorite shirt was in that load you ruined!"

The calls were definitely getting closer, and Laura was poised to dart off recklessly down the hall. Ororo had an idea, and then smiled to herself. She calmly started walking up the hall towards the group of sprinting teens while Laura watched suspiciously from the adjoining corridor. They slowed down upon seeing a teacher present.

"Hello Bobby, Amara, Rahne, Jubilee."

"Hello, Ms. Munroe," they replied calmly, if slightly anxious to be on their way.

"You shouldn't run in the halls. Someone may get injured."

"Sorry, Ms. Munroe," they replied.

"Ms. Munroe?" Amara spoke up. "We're looking for Laura. Have you seen her around?"

Bobby caught on. "Yes. We kind of need…help with something. That only she can help with. It's inconvenient like that. Otherwise we'd ask you. But we need her."

They waited a moment.

"So we're looking for her," Rahne concluded helpfully. They all nodded earnestly. Ororo exercised all her self-control to not start laughing, and instead managed a reasonably believable sigh.

"I believe she went through that window a moment ago. I was just coming to shut it. It looks like it may rain." She made it look like it may rain as they went to investigate the open window at the far end of the hall.

"Huh." Bobby decided. "Well, if you see her can you let us know? Because we still need to show her something."

"No, we still need help," Amara corrected him.

"Oh, right. We still need help. We have to show her the thing we need her help with, that's why I said that."

"Of course," Ororo nodded solemly while around the corner Laura rolled her eyes. The teens shuffled off after sheepishly closing the window, and Ororo walked back to Laura, whose eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

"What's the price?" Laura asked in a low tone.

"It is not unreasonable. Help me gather this soil and assist me in putting it where it is supposed to be. That is all. And I will neglect to mention this mishap to Logan and talk to the Professor instead."

"You are still going to rat me out." Laura said, swirling a finger in the dirt on the floor pensively, trying to find the loopholes.

"Of course. You did exceed your quota for social mishaps, as well as ruin a considerable amount of clothing and perhaps an expanse of hardwood flooring as well. It's fortunate that I was going to mix this fertilizer and this soil anyway or you would possibly be punished for that as well. Professor Xavier will have to be informed of this, however he may be persuaded- knowing Logan's temper- to exclude him. If you assist me for a few hours this afternoon."

Laura glanced at the dirt, and then nodded agreement.

"Very well. Now if you wouldn't mind brushing the soil off of yourself and stepping out of the pile, Laura, I would like to sweep it up."

"Should I get a broom?" Laura asked hesitantly, trying to remember how to undo messes instead of create them, but Ororo had already gathered the dirts with a small indoor tornado and funneled them neatly back into the burlap sacks they'd been spilled from. Ororo smiled gently at her.

"No thank you. However you may carry one of these bags for me."

They each picked up a bag and Ororo led Laura down several halls, up two flights of stairs, down another hall that Laura had mentally mapped as where the teachers sleep- including Logan's, whose room she subtly picked up her pace while passing- and then up a final staircase that spiraled up behind a linen closet-shaped door. Ororo raised a hand above her to open a hatch, which turned into the floor of a well-lit, surprisingly humid renovated attic that was completely full of plants. After the mansion had exploded, one of the suggestions that was used was expanding Ororo's indoor garden. It was located centrally on one of the rear wings of the mansion, and the entire ceiling was glass windows that sloped gently up one half of the room, peaked in the center, and sloped gently back down the other side.

Ororo set her bag down next to a few large, deep, empty, rectangular pots, and Laura set the second beside it silently, looking around. She had seen this room before, but it was from the roof and she had been preoccupied with trying to kill Logan at the time and wasn't able to fully appreciate it. She did so now, walking around the tables with pots on them and large plants on the floor. There was a surprising variety of foliage, and if she was inclined to daydreaming it would have been easy to pretend she was in a special indoor jungle.

There was one leafy plant in a large pot on the center of a table where it would be directly in the sun for a good portion of the day. There were big round leaves on it and tiny green buds forming in places, but they were too small to identify and Laura didn't know what it would grow to be anyway. She hadn't been trained to identify flower buds unless they were poisonous ones that could be used to kill people. It seemed unlikely that a kind, gentle woman like Ororo Munroe would grow something like that.

"Over here, please, Laura," Ororo said from a corner. "Come learn what this soil you spilled is for."


	2. Talking to Plants

I forgot this in the first chapter: I don't own any of the characters or X-Men: Evo and am unfortunately not turning a profit on it either. It's fanfic. In case you didn't know.

Chapter 2

* * *

"Over here, please, Laura," Ororo said from a corner. "Come learn what this soil you spilled is for."

Laura returned to the burlap sacks they had just hauled up, finding Ororo sitting majestically next to two trough-like pots. Under careful supervision, Laura helped pour the soil into the rectangular pots and dig small holes a few inches apart. After a quick demonstration, seeds were planted, the holes were filled in, and before Laura could sneak off a water bucket was set in her hands and she was gently directed to a large sink on one wall.

"There's still plenty of work to be done, and I'm glad for your assistance. If we both work expediently we will be done before supper," Ororo said pleasantly. Laura shrugged. It meant nothing to her, she hadn't had any plans anyway other than evading the annoyed teenagers downstairs and perhaps destroying the Danger Room later.

She learned how to water various plants, which were edible and which weren't (the troughs they had planted were for carrots, which apparently grew indoors quite well under the right circumstances), and what the futures for certain plants were- once it warmed up a little more, Ororo was going to transplant most of the flowers outdoors, but it wasn't quite warm enough yet. She was currently searching for helpers and was shocked that no one had volunteered for the backbreaking work.

"Silence is pleasant, however I am curious about something," Ororo said eventually from atop a ladder, where she was cleaning the glass ceiling panels. "What are your goals in attending the Institute?"

Laura paused. She had been expecting something about her past life as X23, or about Logan or how she was adjusting. Her prepared replies did not match this question. "My…goals?"

"Yes. For example, most of the residents are here to learn to control their powers. Scott is learning leadership and strategy. Hank is here to continue being an excellent educator, which he can't do out in the world anymore. Is there anything you feel you should be improving about yourself, or a particular personal mission you would like to achieve?"

"I'm just here because I have nowhere else to go," Laura said irritably, spraying nutrients onto vegetables with a bottle.

Ororo descended and moved the ladder out of the way. A quick, sudden downpour cleaned the outside of the glass, and the room got slightly brighter. "Please actually think about the question. I'll give you some time to think about it if you want, you don't have to answer right now. I believe it may help you if you know what you would like out of your residency here."

Laura harrumphed, and wandered back to the big pot in the center of the room that she couldn't identify with a slight feeling of jealousy. The small green buds probably didn't know what they wanted either and they weren't questioned about it. They got sunlight and plant food and left alone anyway.

"You're ugly," she told it quietly. "A bunch of scrawny twigs I could shred in a second if I wanted to."

The plant didn't say anything. She hadn't expected it to. It just sat there in the early spring sunlight. She squirted it with the nutrients, and waited.

"You're welcome," she said crossly after a moment, and returned to the supply corner. The squirt bottle was tossed onto a pile- and immediately removed and thoroughly rinsed at the request of Ororo- and then tossed back onto the same pile. Laura was slightly surprised to discover upon looking up through the glass that the sun was beginning to set. The room had begun growing dim and the daylight plants were closing for the night.

"Thank you for your help," Ororo said, coming to happily survey the room beside the younger girl. "However I'm glad to say that is enough for today. I don't know about you but I'm quite hungry."

"You told me I had to help," Laura muttered, glancing aside at the dirt full of carrot seeds.

"Not at all. You agreed to help me with the soil in exchange for my help with alleviating your punishment. Any work you did after that was your own choice." Ororo smiled, having revealed the design of her plan.

Laura turned and looked up at the white-haired woman she'd unintentionally helped for the best part of a day. "What? It was a test?"

Ororo's smile grew even wider. "No, not a test. It was an opportunity, one I am glad to see you have taken."


	3. That Might Be Curiousity

It's been awhile, yes. I know. Life. Although this story was on hiatus and I forgot about for quite some time, I am back (periodically) to update some more. So here is more!

Chapter 3

Ororo's smile grew even wider. "No, not a test. It was an opportunity, one I am glad to see you have taken."

After supper, Laura reflected that it was indeed a good idea to have taken that opportunity, even if it was unintentional, as Ororo sat next to her when they spoke to Professor Xavier.

"Bobby, Rahne, Jubilee, and Amara are quite upset about their clothing. I have surveyed the damage and it's fairly inconsiderable. The funds could easily be allotted to them to replace their clothes. However, Laura, you are strictly banned from doing laundry and over your monthly allowance of social disturbances," Professor Xavier looked solemnly at Laura from his desk, "and so something must be done. Ororo, I believe you wished to say something regarding exactly this."

"Yes, Charles," Ororo briefly placed a hand on Laura's shoulder and exchanged a glace with her before removing it and continuing. "Our initial agreement was that in exchange for assistance in my attic greenhouse, I would consult you regarding this matter before informing Logan. This agreement has been kept.

"With this afternoon's gardening in mind, I would like to suggest an opportunity for Laura to exert her energies in a non-destructive way. I would like to borrow her most evenings to learn about my plants and help me care for them. In this way, she will not be harassing the other students and will be able to learn the practical skills that she is failing to on her own."

Laura's expression didn't change, even when the professor studied her thoughtfully while Ororo spoke. After several minutes, he spoke.

"These terms sound reasonable to me. If Laura feels this is reasonable as well then this experiment has my permission to begin."

"Excellent," Ororo smiled, enthusiastically starting to divide up tasks in her mind before remembering that Laura hadn't consented. Xavier's private study, already a quiet room, grew silent as Laura thought.

"To be clear," she said after a pause, "the alternative is letting Logan decide what to do with me?"

Xavier and Ororo nodded.

"What sort of thing would he decide to do with me?"

"Normally," Professor Xavier said, "I caution him to use restraint when directing punishment at the student residents here for a number of reasons. However the reasons I use in requiring such restraint do not apply to you."

Ororo elaborated, "It wouldn't be inhumane, however knowing your…history, Logan would have to come up with some sort of physical activity that would actually seem like a punishment to you. Or, and I stress this, you could choose to learn gardening with me and omit Logan altogether."

"Then I accept," Laura said.

"Wonderful!" Ororo looked pleased at having finally procured gardening assistance, "Tomorrow evening after supper please join me in my attic garden and we will get started."

The remainder of the evening went slowly, as they commonly did for Laura. She patrolled the perimeter of the property a few times, and debugged and reset the complicated security system installed after the mansion was rebuilt. And then crashed it again, and rebuilt it entirely to pass some more time. She avoided the teenagers, and wandered the suddenly quiet halls that night while everybody prepared for school the next day.

After a few hours of frantic late-night studying the last of the teenagers fell asleep, and Laura found herself wandering back up the assorted staircases and down the halls until she was back in the greenroom in the attic. The moon was bright and the sky was clear through the glass ceiling, casting strong shadows among the plants. It looked entirely different than during day, more mysterious, alluring, and unknown. She could dimly hear a grandfather clock tolling a very early hour of the morning as she stalked between the plants.

She found the ugly spindled plant on the table in the center of the room and stared at it critically some more, trying to discern what the point of its existence was. Cautiously poking a thorn did not help, nor did trying to see inside one of the tiny green buds without actually touching or opening it. Eventually she gave up and went back to her bed full of a feeling she didn't know was curiousity.


	4. Pick a Plant

Chapter 4

Eventually she gave up and went back to her bed full of a feeling she didn't know was curiousity.

Unfortunately, the emotion she woke up with was one Laura was extremely familiar with- irritation. It was apparently increased in the presence of other humans and around small household appliances such as alarm clocks. It wasn't her alarm clock; Laura's enhanced hearing tuned in to at least four separate alarms that were currently going off in the hall. She sighed and got up.

Breakfast happened, and then as one the public-school students took off in an arsenal of cars for a day of learning and public humiliation. Laura was not in school, not even homeschooled. Initially they had tried tutoring her but gave up upon discovering the extensive education she'd gotten from HYDRA. So Laura didn't really have anything to do.

She ended up in Rogue's room listening to music on headphones for awhile. It wasn't very good, it was all about feelings and emotions. There was smelling all of Jean's and Kitty's perfumes- they stank of chemicals under the overlay of artificial scent. She stared blankly at Jamie's tarantula on his bedroom desk while he was in the library being tutored. Activities such as these filled most of the day until, finally, all of the teenagers returned to the mansion and dinner happened.

Laura was strangely impatient to finish eating without knowing why, which in turn irritated her until she was angry enough to throttle the first person who smiled at her. As it turned out, Ororo was the only person to smile at her. Laura halfheartedly scowled back, her mind far away.

Finally the dishes were cleared away and everybody went off to do whatever they needed to do that night, leaving Laura sitting at a large empty table with Ororo.

"I'm quite excited," Ororo started, smiling serenely, "I've been looking forward to this all day."

Laura didn't respond but didn't pretend not to be listening either.

"We're going to start with basic knowledge this evening- the tools, the kinds of plants, what all the plants are for, things like that," Ororo said cheerfully. "So come with me."

The next several hours consisted of an intense information session that anyone with less information processing training than Laura would have found extremely confusing. There were dozens of different pots for any number of uses. There were plants spanning from the purely aesthetic to medicinal to culinary. The closets, one in a small shed in the rear of the mansion and the other in the attic, had enough gardening tools that they resembled small armories to Laura. And, of course, there was watering all of the plants that needed it in the attic garden just like the evening before. The outdoor plants benefitted from a sudden, spontaneous rainshower. There was no sprinkler system; Ororo didn't see the need to pay utilities to water the outdoor plants when she could just make it rain for a few minutes for free.

The lesson, which had moved back up to the attic garden, ended abruptly when Ororo glanced at a clock in passing and discovered it was quite late at night.

"My apologies for keeping you so long this evening, Laura. I did not mean for this to go on quite so late, so I will end this lesson for today. I was going to do one more thing tonight, but perhaps it's better this way- before we meet tomorrow, I'd like you to pick a plant in the attic greenhouse. You may choose any of them, and the plant that you pick will be yours to care for exclusively. I will not interfere in any way except for giving information. Tomorrow you can tell me which one you chose."

She yawned as Laura continued to pay attention sullenly. "Although I know you will not be going to sleep for some time yet, I am quite tired. Good night, Laura."

Ororo went down the stairs calmly, waiting until she had shut the door to her bedroom to grin widely as she prepared for bed. Laura remained in the attic for quite some time, slowly wandering around studying the plants and reviewing what Ororo had told her about them.

The carrots were growing somewhere in the dirt in the rectangular pot by the door, in theory, but on the surface nothing was happening. Laura didn't want to take care of a pot of dirt, that seemed uninteresting. Perhaps a plant that had already started showing? She glanced at the next pot, recalling that it contained onions. The stalks were showing, but Laura didn't like the taste of onions so she didn't want to help them grow.

She eliminated several more plants and then turned to look at the small, ugly thorny shrub in the center of the room. She stared at it for several minutes.

_ Rosa hybrid, commonly known as the Hybrid Tea Rose. Color unknown. Requires a pot at least 17 inches in diameter by at least 14 inches deep with drainage to prevent root rot. Needs at least six hours of sunlight every day. Grows three to six feet in height. Blooms twice yearly, once in spring and once in fall. Growing indoors is extremely difficult._

It seemed like a challenge to grow such a plant indoors. Laura smiled on the inside. It would be difficult. She liked that.


	5. Thorns Make You Bleed

Chapter 5

It seemed like a challenge to grow such a plant indoors. Laura smiled on the inside. It would be difficult. She liked that.

Laura did not wait until the next evening to inform Ororo of her decision. She lurked in the corner of the kitchen at breakfast, waiting for the last of the teens to disappear off to school. The adults came in to eat then, once the insanity was over and the mansion was quieter. Ororo fixed some oatmeal and sat down at the table with Hank McCoy, Logan, and Professor Xavier. Laura came up silently behind her.

"_Rosa hybrid_," she said. Ororo jumped slightly and dropped her spoon. She turned to look over her shoulder. Laura moved further into view.

"Pardon?" Ororo asked while wiping up the food she spilt with her napkin.

"_Rosa hybrid_," Laura repeated patiently, "the hybrid tea rose. That is the plant I claim."

"Are you quite sure? That species is generally grown by experienced gardeners. It takes a lot of time and energy to care for."

"Yes, exactly," Laura said seriously. Professor Xavier smiled but said nothing while Logan just looked confused. "I have a lot of time and energy to spare."

"Very well," Ororo smiled, "then I cede all care of the hybrid tea rose to you. There are a few books on the subject in the library, and I am also available for any questions. Of course you are still expected to assist with the daily work as well."

"Of course," Laura said. Ororo studied her, and then pulled out the chair next to her and handed Laura a banana before returning to her oatmeal. The girl sat down and calmly began to eat, glad for a reason to not converse anymore, already planning her day of doing nothing around rose care.

Conversation rose as the adults discussed various mansion issues while Laura sat, thinking. She had seen the books in the library but dismissed them as literature. Perhaps revisiting them was in order. The plant was not going to catch her off-guard or ignorant. She was going to know every possible thing it could do and be prepared.

By that evening, all of the books on gardening in the mansion library had been dissected and memorized. Laura left the table as silently as she could midway through dinner, grabbed the books she had set aside in the library, and sprinted up the three floors to the attic garden, where she opened them all and began assessing the ugly shrub she had claimed.

When Ororo came up about twenty minutes later, Laura was squatting on the table, pruning the bad branches off the shrub with her own claws. Ororo chuckled quietly and began filling the water bucket and spritzers until Laura had finished.

"Is that enough?" Laura asked abruptly, still staring at the plant with her claws out, posed, ready to cut any sickly twig as soon as she saw it. Ororo came over and studied it. The plant looked a lot better and, Ororo thought, probably felt fairly terrified of the teenage girl.

"Yes, it looks quite nice. Please put your claws away now."

"It looks ugly even with the cutting," she said, hopping off the table and closing the gardening books.

"Perhaps now. You saw the pictures in the books of the roses in bloom? Ororo handed Laura a bucket and spritzing bottle once the books were safely by the door.

"Yes. The roses are colorful and aesthetic but also ugly underneath. If you touch them they make you bleed."

"Is that why you chose the rose over a vegetable or herb?"

"Yes." Laura said. Ororo noted that she almost sounded pleased about this, and stored that observation away for later analysis. They finished working in silence before Laura spoke up again, thoughtful. Ororo was pleased with how Laura had begun initiating conversation with her, and decided to see if that applied to other mansion residents when the chance presented itself.

"What color will the roses be on the shrub?" Laura asked, stabbing holes in a pot of dirt for flower seeds.

"I do not know. I purchased the plant only a few weeks ago. We shall both be surprised in a few weeks when it blooms."


	6. Hobbies Are Hard

Ch.6

"I do not know. I purchased the plant only a few weeks ago. We shall both be surprised in a few weeks when it blooms."

The days passed, as days are prone to. The evening plant work became the chief event in Laura's day. She would have skipped dinner to go up into the attic if it were acceptable, but that would be both noticeable and suspicious behavior coming from her. Laura wasn't sure how to comport herself. She had never been enthused about something before and found it both enjoyable and irritating.

She took note of when Ororo did her morning gardening and watched from a distance, intently focused on absorbing as much knowledge as she could about the plants. After a few weeks, Laura considered herself fully educated in every plant the mansion contained and could answer nearly every question Ororo may casually ask her. She knew all the latin names, the common names, how to care for all of them, if they were annuals, perennials, and every other detail. Their lifespans, produce, and pollination cycles were all tucked away in Laura's mind. She wasn't sure what to do with all this new knowledge but was secretly glad it was there to fill up her mind.

But one morning, when it was a new day but the sun hadn't yet come up, the emergency alarm for the X-Men sounded and the senior X-Men rushed off in the jet to save something. The remaining students still acted normally, getting themselves fed and off to school on time (a much easier task as more of them acquired drivers' licenses).

Laura realized while standing in the empty kitchen uncertainly that she would not be able to go about her day in the usual manner- the plants wouldn't be watered if Ororo wasn't around, and Laura didn't know when she would be back. It never occurred to her to neglect them or leave them for Ororo to handle later. Rarely the X-Men were gone for days at a time, but there was never warning if this was going to happen until it already had.

It occurred to Laura that she knew how to do all of Ororo's gardening. It would take much longer because she couldn't make it rain over every plant at once, but she knew where all the equipment was to water everything the normal way. Hours of silently stalking Ororo were paying off already. She decided to start with the outdoor plants since they would take much longer.

Since she had to lug water cans back and forth from the water hose on one of the far mansion walls to all corners of the mansion grounds, and weed the flower beds, and spread some fertilizer, prune, pick ripe things off- yesterday Ororo had said she was going to do this today- and then do essentially the same tasks to the greenhouse plants in the attic, it was nearly supper before Laura finished.

Her secondhand clothes, face, and hair were covered in stains and dirt when she wandered downstairs again wondering vaguely about whether there would be food prepared or not. The X-Men had just returned as well, and Ororo, still in her uniform, was looking around with a perplexed expression while Logan, a few of the X-Men, and the Professor discussed something nearby. She spotted Laura coming down the stairs.

"The gardening has been done. Laura, did you do this?" she asked, uncertain as to the answer.

"I've watched you on several occasions, the task did not seem complicated," Laura said, reaching the bottom of the staircase and approaching Ororo.

"But this must have taken most of the day for you! All of the plants were watered and properly cared for, and although I haven't been to my attic garden yet I'm sure it's just as maintained," Ororo thought aloud in Laura's direction.

"Yes. Although I was not sure what to do with the ripe tomatoes so I sat them in the kitchen. They may have been consumed by now," Laura solemly informed the older woman.

"Aren't you tired?" Ororo asked sympathetically, noting how filthy and disheveled Laura appeared.

"No," Laura lied, and suppressed a yawn. "However I would like to bathe now."

"Of course. Take your time, I will set aside some food for you to eat once you're done."

Without another word, Laura left. Ororo glanced around, noting that even the small but living decorative plants in the vases had been watered. Many of the students didn't realize those plants weren't fake. She turned when Xavier said her name.

"I feel I should congratulate you," he said, smiling, "I had my reservations about your suggestion initially but Laura has taken to gardening much more intensely than I expected."

Logan, who had been in the process of leaving for a motorcycle ride, turned abruptly and came back. "What's going on?" he asked bluntly. "You've been leaving me out of the loop on something and I'm getting tired of it. What's Laura doing with you, 'Ro?"

Ororo smiled slightly as she turned to go change into non-uniform clothes and prepare a quick dinner for everyone.

"She is assisting me with an experiment," she responded mysteriously, leaving Xavier to explain the deal now that enough time had passed since the initial incident. An hour later there was spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce for supper.


	7. The Wheelbarrow of Ostracization

Hi! I haven't mentioned this yet and it is long overdue- thank all of you for reviews! They're pleasant to read, and I do, even if I don't respond.

Chapter 7

Ororo heard an ominous 'thud' and looked over her shoulder. Laura was scowling at an old wheelbarrow that had finally given up on life. It had been very rusted and wobbly, and based on what Ororo could tell the thin spot spanning the bottom of the barrow had become a large hole. She stood, brushing the garden dirt off her knees.

"It broke itself," Laura said preemptively, glaring. Ororo smiled. Her expression did not match her outfit- Laura's tendency to destroy her clothing doing simple tasks had become a constant challenge to Ororo, prompting an evolution of gardenwear. The latest attempt to preserve the girl's clothing was a large heavy-duty apron and rubber rainboots. They were in bright, cheerful colors, and as soon as the kids came home from school Laura would take off the happy garden gear and hide it somewhere until the next time no one was around.

"I've put off buying a new wheelbarrow one day too long, it seems," Ororo smiled to let Laura know she wasn't in trouble. "Fortunately they aren't expensive. Next time there are enough errands I will run out and pick up a new one."

Although it was still very cold in the Bayville area, spring clothing catalogues were already being mailed and several of the girls of the mansion had caught spring shopping fever and were more than willing to make up errands. In another seemingly unrelated way, Ororo's sister Vi was expecting her for tea that afternoon, so a wheelbarrow would have to either be postponed or purchased by someone else. So by putting all of these separate events together, it becomes logical how Laura found herself sandwiched between Kitty and Jubilee in a full minivan headed into town later that day. Ororo had given her enough money for a quality wheelbarrow and a snack, which she had safely tucked away in a pocket. Her scowl was on display for all to see, but unfortunately the other girls were so excited at the idea of clothes that they failed to notice or care. Laura's mood sunk even further.

There was a large outdoor-stuff garden store on one end of the mall, and Laura watched with resignation as they parked on the opposite end. Ororo's advice had been to buy a book and read it in the food court until the girls had spent most of their energy before attempting her own shopping, but Laura wasn't interested in literature.

Jean and Kitty lead the charge into the mall, trailed by Laura. She was immediately horrified by the smells and deafened by the noise and tried to leave and wait in the car until they were done, but Jean caught her arm.

"Sorry, Laura, but the professor said not to let you out of my sight until we're back at the mansion. It shouldn't be too long, we already know what stores most of the stuff we want is in."

Laura pulled out of Jean's grip but followed as Jean ran from store to store. Occasionally two of the mansion residents would bump into each other and point each other towards another store. The only bright point was when Jean bought her a fruit smoothie.

After a short eternity lasting around two hours, Jean stood at the mall map, comparing her many bags to the listed stores while Laura continued to sulk quietly nearby.

"Okay, it looks as though I've been everywhere I wanted to go. Ororo wanted you to get something?" she asked. Laura nodded and glanced at the map dismissively. Most of the stores seemed unnecessary. Clothes are clothes.

"A wheelbarrow. It appears they are only sold at the garden store on the opposite end of this mall."

Jean nodded slightly while thinking, "That makes sense." She thought a message to the other girls, and they gradually appeared, laden with bags.

"One more errand for Ororo, and then we can head back to the mansion. Try to leave most of the trunk empty." Jean said, and lead the flock back to the van and then drove to the other end of the mall. Laura was suspicious of how helpful she was being but didn't ask. It was probably at the Professor's request.

"We'll be back in a few minutes," Jean said as she and Laura got out of the car. The girls didn't notice, they were comparing their purchases.

"They're not out to get you," Jean said after a few minutes as they located the right section of the store.

"I did not say anything," Laura responded. And they are, she added mentally.

"Girls are just like that. We have to be so hardcore on missions that when a chance to just be girls happens, we take it." Jean tried to rationalize. Laura didn't respond. That didn't make sense to her. Jean looked as though she was expecting some sort of response so she tried to come up with something.

"Malls are annoying," she said. Jean smiled. They found the wheelbarrow Ororo had specified she wanted, and Laura pushed it to the register and then the van. Before she could manhandle it into the trunk Jean put it there with her powers.

She mumbled a "thanks", and after half an hour the mansion gates were opening and they were home. Several minor scuffles occurred as the girls sorted out whose bags were whose, and for the second time Jean beat Laura to the punch in getting the wheelbarrow back out of the trunk, again telekinetically. This time Laura just studied her intently for a minute, eyes narrowed, and then stalked off as best she could while pushing a wheelbarrow, which makes anyone look a little bit silly.

Ororo was still out with her sister until supper and there weren't any pressing tasks for Laura, so she wandered around aimlessly. She found herself eavesdropping on the girls she'd been forced to endure. They were talking about her.

"I'm really happy I survived that," one said, "I thought she was going to go for our throats."

"I bet shopping with Logan is like that," Amara said.

"Aw, it wasn't that bad. She wasn't even with any of us for most of the trip," Kitty said. "The professor asked Jean to keep an eye out and she said Laura wasn't any trouble, so stop being so negative."

Although Jean was in the room- Laura could smell her perfume- she said nothing. Laura punched the wall hard enough to dent it a little and stormed off.


	8. Midnight Meltdown

Sorry about the long break, I was busy graduating college. That seemed more productive.

Thorny ch.8

* * *

_ Although Jean was in the room- Laura could smell her perfume- she said nothing. Laura punched the wall hard enough to dent it a little and stormed off._

Laura stood in the greenhouse in front of her ugly rosebush. The moon was atypically bright tonight, and lit the room well enough that turning on lights hadn't been necessary. It was approximately one thirty in the morning, and she hadn't moved for nearly an hour. Neither had the plant.

Although her face was calm and emotionless, inside Laura was raging. The emotions she felt about being rejected by the mansion girls were unfamiliar, and she did not know how to cope with them, which only angered and frustrated her further.

"You're much easier to understand than humans," she finally said to her plant, standing perfectly still. "There is nothing complicated about you. Fertilizer, water, sunlight, and you never judge. You are not a difficult plant at all. The book was wrong."

As a distant clock toned the quarter of the hour, Laura blinked a few times and turned, studying the other plants with the same intensity and lack of expression that she had just been focusing on her rose.

"I don't understand them. I'm not like them." She fretted, and frowned. "I thought Jean was supposed to help me. Xavier sent her so that she could protect everyone from me. Did Ororo know that?"

Many of the pots that had previously only shown soil had small stalks rising from them. They were clustered together. Laura remembered all the people at the mall, separate like the stalks but still part of the same pot. Living their boring lives, handling all the stuff they found important, having families, concerned about each other. Buying things for each other. The mansion girls running around in pairs, laughing and yelling and sharing everything with each other. Laura on the outside. And then later, gossiping and talking, sharing their purchases and telling each other stories. Talking about her. Laura on the outside.

"I won't ever be like that, there's no point," she said suddenly, startling herself. It seemed so futile. Ororo's efforts to reform her, to forge some sort of connection. Jean, lifting the wheelbarrow and being nice at her. They were the only ones who had attempted to do so. Laura didn't know for sure what Ororo wanted out of her, but Jean had just been following orders. When she wasn't around they did nothing. No one else would even come near her. She had never received a hug, or even an invitation to anything, from any of the other teens, but they gave those to each other all the time.

"I hate all of them!" Laura shouted, then blinked, and looked around. Most of the plants were shredded. Shards of ceramic pottery were scattered like hail across the floor, and soil was drifting down through the air like rain. The room had been devastated.

"Not now," Laura gasped a little, her eyes wide. She hadn't lost her temper like that in over a month. All the work of the last several weeks was completely undone. She turned sharply to see her rosebush, and it was not there. As she urgently stepped over the debris she saw it in several large pieces on the floor among shards of the large pot it had been in. Laura kneeled down next to it, staring. For a moment her eyes were damp, but it passed quickly as Laura regained control over herself.

There were footsteps in the hall below, and Ororo's voice calling out. With her enhanced hearing, Laura heard Logan sprinting out of his room to back Ororo. Laura rapidly opened one of the glass panels, leaping gracefully onto the roof and running, just making it out of sight as Ororo and Logan burst into the attic.

As she sprinted along the roof, she heard Ororo gasp at the destruction. She tried not to listen, but couldn't help hearing what sounded like a sob in the attic behind her. Something oozed on her hand. Laura looked down, and noticed that she had been grasping one of her rose stems so tightly the thorns had cut into her palm. She hurled it into the darkness, ducked into her favorite rooftop eave and cried softly, but only for a few minutes.

A violent storm rolled in, and once there was enough lightning flashing to light the way, Laura ducked in a window to grab something and then carefully walked back along the drenched roof towards the greenhouse. She hadn't slept; the remainder of the night had been spent thinking very hard.

Ororo was kneeling on the floor, sweeping soil from under a table with a hand brush and pan. Laura quietly opened one of the glass panels and slipped a piece of paper in, shutting the panel securely and sliding off the roof onto a balcony as the paper fluttered down to Ororo.

Laura peered through the glass balcony doors into Professor Xavier's study, where he, Logan and Hank were deep in conversation. She sighed miserably, knocked on the glass quietly to get their attention, and entered.


	9. A Dying Rose

Chapter 9

_She sighed miserably, knocked on the glass quietly to get their attention, and entered._

* * *

"Laura, what the hell?" Logan yelled angrily as a greeting of sorts. Xavier studied her silently, and Hank excused himself and left the room.

Laura sat down in the chair Hank had vacated, folded her hands on her lap and silently studied the hardwood floor in front of her.

"How are you possibly going to explain this, kid?' Logan continued, "Ororo's garden is completely destroyed! That's years of her work that you ruined."

"Logan," Xavier said calmly. Logan took a breath to continue yelling, but paused as the Professor's tone registered, and turned it into a frustrated sigh. He sat down, scowling at Laura. She was still studying the floor. It was very clean. She wondered who cleaned it.

"Thank you, Logan. I think it would be better if you did not handle this problem, but I will not ask you to leave."

"Understood," Logan nodded, and forced himself to sit back and calm down as Xavier moved closer to Laura.

"I already understand what has happened." He said quietly, "You were very loud and woke several of us up, including Jean, who told me about your trip yesterday to the mall and what you apparently overheard afterward. Logan has informed me of what he heard you yelling as he went to stop you, and what the damage is. I will take into account your actions now as well. Coming here now was an unexpected but encouraging decision on your part. What I would like for you to explain is why."

Laura frowned slightly in confusion. "Why what?" she asked softly.

"Why you were apparently upset enough to destroy something very dear to someone who was not involved in the cause of the issue."

The silence lasted several minutes, and Laura never looked up from the floor. When she spoke, she still couldn't bring herself to look at either the Professor or Logan.

"I thought I was doing so well," she said quietly. "I tried. Some of it was starting to bud and I ruined it. I didn't mean to."

Before the storms had ended, Laura had fetched the stem from her rosebush that she had thrown from the roof during the night. She had it tucked it into the front pocket of the soaked mens' shirt she was wearing, and pulled it out now to show it to the Professor. Although her hand had healed from the cuts, the thorns still had some of her blood on them. One small bloom sagged near the top end.

The door to the study opened and Ororo came in, followed by Hank who shut it again behind him. Laura didn't care, this was more important.

"It was mine and I killed it right when it was starting to bloom." Laura's voice wavered again and she stopped talking so they hopefully wouldn't notice how close to tears she was at seeing her shredded, dying rose stem in daylight. She ducked her head quickly and scowled as a tear fell anyway.

Professor Xavier gently took the rose piece from Laura and studied it as she tried to get her emotions under control again.

"Ororo, he said, looking up at her, "now that you have had some time to survey your greenhouse, what is the damage?"

Laura didn't dare look at Ororo as she recounted the destruction to her beloved garden. The tone of her voice was enough to tell Laura that she would not be helping with any more gardens. She was surprised at how sad that made her. She wanted to run away.

"I see," Xavier said, handed the stem back to Laura, and went to his desk. "What is that sheet of paper you are holding?" he asked Ororo. She came forward and laid the sheet of notebook paper on his desk. The words "I'm sorry" were visible in Laura's plain handwriting. "She dropped it in a few minutes before Hank came to get me."

Xavier looked at the note for a moment, and sighed. "Frankly, I am not sure how to handle this. The damage is intense. There are three options I can think of right now, however I'd advise against making a hasty decision. First, Laura can rebuild the garden."

"No," Ororo shook her head, and Laura frowned harder as another tear fell. Her earlier assumption had been correct but knowing in advance hadn't helped.

"Another option is to let Logan handle punishment. If you all recall, this had been an alternate option to the original suggestion of Laura assisting Ororo."

There was silence on this idea.

"However the suggestion that I recommend at this point," Xavier said, "Is to wait a couple of days and then discuss what to do about this at that time, once emotions have settled and we have all caught up on sleep and thought things through."

"Or I could just leave," Laura said, finally looking up at everyone. "I think it would be best if I left. I don't fit here."

"Don't be stupid," Logan said, "You have nowhere to go."

"I don't as it is," Laura replied, looking him in the eyes.

"Don't leave the grounds, Laura," Professor Xavier said firmly, "Expelling you will not be one of the options we consider. That goes against everything we stand for here."

Logan glanced at Ororo, who was silently waiting to go back to her greenhouse to clean more, and then back at Laura, who was still trying to scowl her emotions into submission as the occasional stubborn tear fell anyway, clutching her rose stem tightly. "I'll keep an eye on her for now, Chuck."

"Then this meeting is adjourned. For the next 48 hours think about what an appropriate response to this would be. At eight on Wednesday morning we will all reconvene to make a decision. Ororo, if you would like any assistance with repairs please ask anyone. We will all help you." Professor Xavier looked at Laura. "All of us."

"Very well," Ororo said placidly and walked toward the door. "I will be upstairs."

"I am sorry," Laura whispered, slumping down in the chair. She had no idea what to do now.


	10. Thorn Theft

I'm still alive. I deliberately never put this story on hiatus because I still have every intention of finishing it. Part of my stalling was from being unsure on where to take it after the last (depressing) chapter, but most is because of grad school. I write so much these days, guys, whenever I'm not doing papers I'm too hungry and braindead for anything else. But here's a chapter to tide you over for awhile longer.

* * *

Chapter 10

_"I am sorry," Laura whispered, slumping down in the chair. She had no idea what to do now._

She stole the biggest pieces of her shredded rose bush that night, sneaking into the trashed attic garden not long after Ororo left. It was stupid, Laura knew, but she had to try to save it for reasons she refused to examine. That melancholy look in Ororo's eyes in Xavier's office, when she saw Laura holding the bud….

There had been some extra pots of the right size in one of the sheds, and Laura had braved the hail to go get one and haul it to the attic. She carefully and silently transferred her plant into it, scooping as much of the dirt on the floor as she could into it. Lightning from the thunderstorms lit the room well, and the light hail and roaring thunder covered the sounds she was making. Laura hoped that the rose and pot wouldn't go missed, since the mess was most concentrated around that part of the room, but to be sure she made sure to cover any evidence that she had been present as she left, hauling the large pot down the stairs.

Laura had her hands full of the heavy flowerpot, so she kicked lightly at Logan's door, knowing he would be up. There was a light thud- her senses told her that Logan had jumped down from his windowsill, which was the only place he was allowed to smoke indoors- and nearly inaudible footsteps across the floor.

"I would say you have a lot of nerve but you've crossed over into stupid today," he said, taking in the small teen with the huge flowerpot full of dying rose stems. Although he moved to shut the door on her, Logan paused and rubbed his brow tiredly. "Get in here with that before someone sees you."

Laura shuffled in, sitting the pot near the window with a small sigh. It was hard to be sneaky with such an awkwardly large object. She checked all the pieces of the rose bush that she had carefully replanted, making sure that none of them had moved. Logan watched silently from near the door.

"Does Storm ever come in here?" Laura asked, scooting the pot around to where she estimated the most sun would be in the day, if it ever was sunny again.

Logan shook his head. "Pretty much me and you. I don't like guests."

"I'm going to- can I leave this here?" Laura corrected herself, mid-sentence remembering to ask rather than inform. Especially with Logan, she needed his cooperation and silence on this matter. Most of the other rooms in the mansion had much better light, but most of the other rooms had residents with big mouths in them as well. Logan came over to where Laura was kneeling and studied the plant.

"Why bother, kid, it's shredded. Even you know that. This plant ain't gonna survive," he said quietly, sniffing it.

"It can't die," Laura said.

"What are you trying to prove? Ororo's still upset, if the storms weren't enough of a clue. You got a lot of nerve, breaking back in and stealing her dead plants now too."

"It can't die," Laura said, reaching into her shirt pocket for the mangled bud she had been carrying around all night and gingerly sticking it in the dirt too. The bud drooped ominously but didn't fall off. The downpour Laura had been in while getting the pot had drenched her, and the blood had washed off the stem.

Logan watched silently, taking a few drags on his cigar. "As soon as your weed there dies you get this thing out of my room. You better have a hell of a game plan for Chuck and Ororo on Wednesday, too."

"I will," she stated after several minutes of silence, and after watering her dying rosebush, left. She automatically headed to the attic garden, but paused at the end of the hall when she realized where she was going. There was no more garden sanctuary, she remembered. She killed it, but really needed somewhere to go and think.

The sun began to rise, marking the beginning of a new day. New…. Laura began to get an idea. She ran to the only room that she knew would be empty this time of morning, Professor Xavier's office, and once through his (surprisingly weak) password, began investigating parts of her blooming plan on the Internet.


	11. An Unexpected Alliance

I'm aware those of you who get notifications on this story are probably surprised and maybe a little irritated at this sudden influx of chapters. I was on a roll with writing and figured instead of making you wait forever I'd go ahead and finish the story before my semester gets bad again. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 11

_She ran to the only room that she knew would be empty this time of morning, and began investigating parts of her blooming plan on the Internet_.

Of course, all that Xavier would have to do to figure her plan out would be to check the history on his Internet browser. Laura did not erase it when she left in the hopes that he would, which would help her case significantly when he discovered his credit card was missing from his wallet. She set his wallet by the computer monitor on her way out just to make sure.

When the school-age residents of the mansion had left, Laura grabbed an orange from the kitchen and went into one of the girls' bathrooms. As she finished the last slice, she studied her reflection in the mirror. Tired, worry lines around her mouth, dirty. Laura sighed. She'd have to bathe first, before going out. The first step of her plan involved her looking normal and faking social skills, which would be difficult. She regarded this part of her plan as the hardest, though logistically the final part of it would be.

The problem with appearing normal was that Laura had no idea how to achieve the ultimate look of normalcy- it was the clothes, always the clothes. She understood how to wear them, but not how to get that look that normal people had- style. She plucked a little at her hair, frowning.

"Shampoo generally helps," Jean said from behind her. Laura turned, claws out, purely out of instinct. Jean stayed where she was, calm and collected, and above all, stylish. "You have no idea how loud your thoughts are when you're plotting. My apologies for butting in but there's no way you're leaving the grounds alone. Especially not by stealing my van."

Laura narrowed her eyes, frowning at Jean as she approached. "However everything you're up to today, I'm totally down for. Go shower and I'll get something for you to wear."

Laura didn't move. Jean's friendly smile faltered, and she looked away, abashed. "You kept yelling about being on the outside, how you didn't feel like you belong here. I know it's because of us. I'm really sorry." She paused, running her fingers through her hair, "I could have said something to the girls, or stood up for you, but I didn't. I consider this sort of my fault too."

"Why didn't you?" Laura growled, but rose from her defensive pre-attack crouch.

"Again, I'm sorry. I forgot that just because you look tough doesn't mean you don't have feelings too. You refuse help so much that I guess I decided you didn't need it." She raised her chin and looked firmly at Laura, "So I'm not offering. I'm going with you and we're going to fix this mess."

The mini-speech Jean gave, as well as the ensuing thinking it caused in Laura, were probably the only reasons she left the house in a pink shirt, jeans, and a pair of Kitty's Converses. Her hair was even loosely braided, which Laura objected to verbally but was fascinated by internally. Jean had insisted, once Laura explained why she wanted to appear normal.

The first few stores they stopped at were easy to rush through, since Laura's Internet research had helped her determine exactly what to get. The final stop took the longest by far. Laura walked up and down every aisle at the best nursery in Bayville (or so the Internet had told her it was), intently studying every plant and analyzing them with her recently-developed knowledge of gardening. Jean followed, pushing one large laden-down cart and pulling another behind her, reading off the list Laura had written.

"We pretty much have everything except the hanging baskets," she concluded as Laura tossed a few more handfuls of seed packets into the second cart.

"Got them already. Pay attention." Laura said, looking around slowly in case she missed anything.

"Okay, but there's nothing else on the list after the hangers." Jean surveyed the carts. "And probably nothing left in the checking account either once we leave."

"That is not my concern, I brought a credit card,"

"You mean you stole the Professor's credit card," Jean admonished.

"Same thing. I brought the card that I stole," Laura amended, too distracted to be angry as they started checking out.

"No, it's not- oh, whatever. Don't forget to give the Professor the receipt when you put the card back."

They somehow managed to squeeze all of their purchases into the car. Jean had to drive while balancing a plastic tray of flowers on her lap and Laura couldn't see out the front window due to the large Russian-nesting-doll-like tower of clay pots on her lap. Laura noticed that it was nearly three in the afternoon, time for part two of her plan. While they drove back, she called Logan and explained what she needed him to do.


	12. A Stab at Public Speaking

This has been fun to write. Thanks for reading if you've gotten this far. Especially thanks to lychee loving for the reviews. :)

Not many more chapters to go!

* * *

Chapter 12

_While they drove back, she called Logan and explained what she needed him to do_.

As Jean pulled the van up to the gate, they had to wait as Logan left with Ororo in one of the other cars. Laura suppressed the urge to duck down even though they couldn't see her. Even through the helmet, Laura saw the sadness in Ororo's eyes. She still couldn't figure out why it bothered her to this extent.

"So how are you going to have this ready while Logan has Ms. Munroe away? Even with my help a couple hours won't be long enough," Jean said thoughtfully, pulling into the driveway.

"I will tell the students to help me," Laura said factually. Jean looked over at her skeptically.

"Seriously? Just like that? And you expect them to?" she said. Laura stared at the pots stacked in her lap.

"No," she admitted. "In my plan this was the part where you would do it for me."

"No," Jean shook her head, "I'm not doing that for you. Eventually you need to figure out how to talk to people on your own. But my advice- do it right now while everyone's procrastinating on their homework."

And so, wearing pink, small, awkward, a little dirty, and in the center of attention in the rec room, Laura tried to talk to her peers. Jean had gathered them up and was standing next to Laura as a silent encouragement, which Laura would never admit was slightly comforting.

"You need to help-" she paused at Jean's not-so-subtle cough. "I need your help." And then she was at a loss for words with so many eyes on her, nearly all of them angry. Word had gotten out very quickly and several of the mansion residents had already been in the attic to see the mess. They loved Ororo like a family member, which by default made Laura the villain.

Jean glanced down at her out of the corner of her eyes, then at everyone giving Laura the evil eye.

"What for?" she prompted. Laura twitched, on edge.

"You know what happened. I broke everything. But I- we have purchased new things. A lot of new things."

"Too many new things to get situated up there by ourselves," Jean added, as Laura began rubbing her hands behind her back. Generally when that happened the girl was unconsciously checking to make sure she didn't have her blades out yet.

"Okay, so? You said it yourself, this is your fault," Jubilee spoke up. A few of the others nodded.

"I know," Laura said, glancing at Jean. "But you like her too. I think."

There was some tittering among the students. Ororo was like a mother to all of them, and the recent catastrophe's affect on her had been noticed. There were a few guilty glances by those who had refused to help with the gardening any other time she had asked.

"What exactly are you asking for?" Kurt pitched in from somewhere in the back.

"Help," Laura repeated. She had been momentarily distracted by the appearance of Professor Xavier. He stayed behind the student body, but she could sense him nearby. She wondered at his not saying anything, but didn't bring attention to it. She remembered the credit card in her back pocket. That was probably it.

"There's a ton of work we'd have to do tonight," Jean spoke up when Laura didn't elaborate, "And it'll take all of us to pull this off before Ms. Munroe gets up in the morning to garden. Now, we're going to divide you all up and Laura will explain what needs done."

Dinner was an informal affair that night, since everybody was busy with their parts in Laura's plan. After the indoor work had been finished, most of the students left to do homework, while Laura sat in the den, flipping through one of the books she had stopped to purchase during her errands. It was certainly not literature. It was a gardening book, mostly pictures showing different indoor gardens. She had flipped through a similar one that Ororo already owned, but had liked some of the pictures in this one as well. She glanced at different aspects on pages she had marked that afternoon, comparing them mentally to what she had manage to incorporate into her plans. A thought occurred to her, and she went to knock on Professor Xavier's office door.

"Come in, Laura," Xavier said before she had touched the door even once. Laura opened it just wide enough for her body and slid into the room. Ororo and Hank were sitting with Xavier at his desk, and Logan was leaning casually against the wall by the large windows. Hank smiled politely at her before continuing with whatever he had been talking about, but Ororo didn't. At least today she watched Laura, a step up from last night, though her face revealed nothing. Laura's face was carefully blank as well as she walked up to Xavier's desk and silently put his credit card and a small stack of papers on it.

"The receipts are all there as well," she said blandly, turning to leave.

"Thank you, Laura," Xavier said calmly, glancing at the receipts before sitting them aside and putting his card back in his wallet. She nodded once on her way to the door, already thinking about the penultimate part of her plan since she was not immediately being admonished for stealing the card to begin with.

"Laura," Xavier said from behind her. Maybe he did mean to lecture her after all. Laura amended her previous assumption. She turned.

"What?"

"We will all meet here at eight in the morning to discuss the garden incident. Please join us." Xavier said. It was not a suggestion. Laura nodded again.

"Of course."

She calmly left the room, waiting to run to check on her rose until she was out of hearing range. She burst into Logan's room and squatted next to her plant, studying it critically. There was no change. She hadn't expected there to be, it was far too soon. But something- anything- would have been nice.


	13. Wednesday Morning

Chapter 13

_There was no change. She hadn't expected there to be, it was far too soon. But something- anything- would have been nice._

"Okay, does anyone else smell as great as I do?" Scott stood up, cringing as his legs got pins and needles from falling asleep while he kneeled in the mud.

"Shut up," Kitty whispered from somewhere under a rose bush, "Someone might hear you!"

"Get back to work, Ororo will rise in two hours," Laura said as she walked by with a wheelbarrow full of fertilizer. The two older teens glanced at each other and went back to putting flowers in small holes in the wet ground. The flux of rain in the last forty-eight hours had left the ground soft and pliable, and made the outdoor garden work much easier, if also much dirtier. The half dozen or so students left who hadn't succumbed to sleepiness were nearly done.

As the last plants were stuck in the ground, the sky began lightening in the east. Laura looked around at the grounds, checking that all of the surviving attic plants had been transplanted. She had gotten the help she needed in the end by reminding the students that many of the larger upstairs plants were supposed to be transplanted and that they had refused to help when Ororo asked the first time, citing excuses. This time, Laura asked. And by 'asked' she meant 'made them do it' through a combination of intimidation and explicit threats of violence.

"Everyone to bed," Hank said as the last of the roses were transplanted. There were no cheers, everyone was exhausted and quietly went inside to wash up and get a few hours of sleep. Even working in two shifts had been hard on them, since they still had to go to school, but there were no complaints.

"That includes you, kid," Logan nudged Laura, who was still patting soil around some of the new rose bushes.

"Is she likely to notice this?" Laura asked while trying to remove some mud from her hair and instead getting more in it. He chuckled.

"Likely? Kid, that eight a.m. meeting is going to be a boxing match after she sees this and her garden upstairs." Logan started walking inside, motioning for Laura to walk with him.

"I don't understand your expressions, is that a good thing?" Laura stretched as she walked up the stairs with Logan.

"Who knows, at this point. Look, go shower and get some sleep in. You're going to have a long day." Logan advised, turning away towards his room. Laura watched him leave, frowning, and then turned to the girls' rooms to sneak in a quick shower before everyone began waking up for school.

All too soon the sun was up, and everyone had left. The mansion was empty again as though it was a completely normal day. For most of the residents, it was, even if they were running on less sleep than normal. This day felt unusual to Laura when she woke from her nap on Logan's bed. She was tired, for once. She hadn't been this tired since coming to the mansion. Nothing had kept her up all night for multiple nights in a row working in a very long time.

Laura glanced at a clock. 7:40 a.m. She clenched her jaw and decided to meet the adults in Xavier's office rather than skulk into the room last as usual. Grabbing the garden design book she had carried around with her all evening and night, she walked down the hall. She didn't knock, instead choosing to walk right into Xavier's office. Professor Xavier was already there, quietly reading a book. She glanced at the cover. It was literature, something that she didn't care for.

"Good morning, Laura," Xavier smiled briefly and marked his place in the book, setting it down. "Before Ororo, Hank, and Logan arrive I'd like to speak to you on an unrelated matter."

Laura sat silently in one of the big chairs facing the desk, attentive, with her book on her lap.

"Given the events that occurred afterwards, you are not in trouble for this particular incident. However I must stress that thievery is not acceptable here. Next time you feel you need money, please ask before taking it."

"My apologies," Laura said. "You saw what it was for on your computer."

"Yes," Xavier said, "Which matches the receipts you gave me. For future reference, it is considered good manners to ask before you take. In this instance I would have said yes."

"Understood," Laura said as the door opened behind her. She sniffed the air; it was Logan, followed a few minutes later by Hank and Ororo. Ororo sat down in the chair next to Laura. Laura continued looking at Xavier but could feel Ororo's eyes on her. She didn't appear to be upset anymore, but it was another emotion Laura couldn't identify.

"Since we are all present, let us begin." Xavier began. "Does anyone wish to say anything at the outset, before I speak?"

He looked right at Laura meaningfully, who blinked a few times in suspicion as she tried to decipher the meaning of that action.

"Defend yourself, kid," Logan hinted.

"I have no defense," Laura stated bluntly. "That should not have happened. But it did. And now I've fixed it, I hope."

Ororo made a small sound next to her, then reached out and touched Laura's arm briefly. "How?" was all she asked. Laura's heart jumped a little at being spoken to again. She held up the garden book silently.

"I have slept three hours in the last three days. At this stage I feel I could reasonably blame delirium." Laura fought back a yawn and continued. "I know every single plant you own. I know how to take care of them, what they need to survive. I want them to survive."

Ororo smiled softly. "I know you do. It showed the first time you pruned the tea rose, though I thought if I brought attention to it you would stop."

"I am sorry. I did mean it," Laura said abruptly. "It's important you know that, though I don't know why. I hate not knowing why. So I stole the credit card and replaced everything. It is not the same, but it is close."

"It is better than before," Ororo said. "I love the hanging flowers. It looks like they're floating in the sky." Laura said nothing. That sounded too poetic to be considered a credible opinion. "I completely accept your apology, and I owe you an apology as well, Laura. It was not right of me to reject you, professionally or personally. The time we have spent together is sometime I will treasure. The old garden may have been mine, but this one is both of ours."

"Your plants that weren't killed and didn't have to be replaced-." Laura began, trying to correct her.

"They will heal. You made our garden beautiful, Laura."

This was beginning to get too emotional for Laura, who had no defenses against positive reinforcement.

"The hanging flowers might drip over the drip trays. Since you water them via rain shower I was unsure what size to get." She tried to change the topic. "There's extra space now for you to put something else in. The roses that I didn't destroy were transplanted outside. I would suggest more tomatoes, you never have enough."

"Although there is one plant missing." Ororo said, watching Laura. "Whatever happened to your hybrid tea rose?"


	14. Mission Complete, Kind Of

Because it's not truly done until I've beaten you with obvious symbolism in an epilogue.

Thanks for reading this and waiting it out for the last two years or so! Although I don't write much fanfiction anymore (barring this crazy spree) I absolutely read the comments. I also have other Laura stories in my profile, if this wasn't enough you can go read those too. :)

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Ch. 14

_ "Although there is one plant missing." Ororo said, watching Laura. "Whatever happened to your hybrid tea rose?"_

For several weeks afterwards Laura would run the meeting through her head and it always played out to the same conclusion: people make no damn sense. At all. It was baffling. For example, she did not technically get in trouble for the incident. Xavier had given a speech on how she had shown remorse and an ability to fix her own mistakes, etcetera, but Laura had stopped listening after Ororo said Laura was more than welcome to return to gardening with her.

In the end she had been assigned two weeks of intensive Danger Room sessions with Logan, but that had seemed hollow even to Laura since she and Logan had intensive Danger Room sessions all the time already. She was also assigned permanent gardening duty, which was also superfluous. But after winning the garden back Laura didn't want to push her apparent luck any further.

Jean seemed to assume that since Laura had spoken to her the most of any of the teenagers that they were now part of a sacred sisterly bond. It was surprisingly difficult for Laura to evade her new friend now that most of the students were on rota for the new gardening chores that had been added to their housekeeping lists. Jean always wanted to take her with her to the movies, to the mall, to her college campus. Apparently, just wanting to include her in her life. Laura sometimes went but usually ran and hid until Jean left. It was usually still too much.

It was especially awkward if it was one of the other students. Somehow when she had asked for help to make Ororo feel better and fix her garden, they saw that as some kind of vulnerability that made her relatable. Laura now had an almost Pavlovian response to run away when she saw Kitty heading towards her with some new CD, or one of the guys wandering around with their extra video game controller.

Although overall she had gotten off lightly (other than the sharp increase in unpreventable social interactions with her fellow students), she had lied to Ororo at the meeting, which was making her feel sort of…twitchy. She had told Ororo that her rose had died, that she had killed it that horrible night of her berserker rage. That was mostly true. Most of the original plant hadn't survived the transplant, but there was that one abused little bud that hung in there. It had been torn up, drenched, thrown off a roof, been bled on, shoved into a pocket repeatedly, and unceremoniously stuck into strange dirt in some man's cigar-smoke-scented bedroom, but it had survived.

Laura wanted to be the very first person to see what color that stupid rose in the bud was going to be. As it began to grow she could see hints of red, but not enough to determine the exact shade. Now that some time had passed and spring was definitely happening, the roses outside would bloom any day. Laura hoped hers would bloom then too, despite being grown indoors. Part of Jean's sudden inexplicable affection for her seemed to stem in part from Laura having to move the rose into her room for more sunlight. Somehow this was interpreted as a sign of trust just because Laura knew Jean would keep her mouth shut about it.

That waiting paid off, finally, almost two months after nearly killing it. Laura unceremoniously walked into Jean's room as she was getting dressed, ignoring the older girl's scolding, and looked at her rose.

"Finally!" she yelled out of surprise. Jean paused mid-sentence and hopped over while putting her pants on to see.

"Oh, I didn't even notice that when I got up. How beautiful," she said, all irritation gone. "It's gorgeous!"

If Jean gushed about it anymore, Laura didn't stick around to hear. She picked the pot up and sprinted as best she could up to the attic garden, where she knew Ororo would be tending her-their- the plants.

"There!" Laura said forcefully, sitting the pot down on the table Ororo was nearest to. "Mission completed. Kind of."

Ororo turned, startled at Laura's entrance, then smiled broadly as she leaned in to study the solitary rose in the huge pot. "You told me it died."

"I lied," Laura said. "Although at that point I was not sure. Most of it did die. But not this one."

"Oh. Well-." Ororo paused as there was thumping coming from the stairwell.

Jean came in, fixing her hair into a ponytail while she ran up the stairs. "Did you ever tell her about the symbolism?" she panted slightly through the hair tie gripped in her teeth as she freed her hands from her hair.

"Symbolism?" Laura asked skeptically. This also rang of literature to her. Ororo shook her head.

"Laura is not interested in the symbolism behind roses," she said. Jean sighed in disappointment.

"Maybe this one time I will tolerate it," Laura said slowly, confused by Ororo and Jean, "but don't make it sappy."

Ororo beckoned Laura to come in to her rose. "Roses are symbolic of love." Laura sighed. Ororo continued. "Different varieties of roses have different significances. I'll spare you the list. The hybrid tea rose is supposed to signify remembrance, that the recipient of one will never be forgotten. And that beautiful color your rose has, burgundy, means 'unconscious beauty'."

Jean glanced casually at her watch, double-glanced at it sharply, and then left to go to school, pouting a little that she was missing the symbolism talk. Ororo chuckled, patting Laura's shoulder as they admired the rose.

"What is funny?" Laura asked suspiciously. Symbolism was turning out to be just as irritating as emotions. "I see no humor in the present situation."

"When you initially picked this flower you told me that you picked it because it was ugly and 'makes you bleed'."

"It has. I heal from incidents like that." Laura reminded her.

"I believe a revision to that statement is in order. No, it was not much to look at before. But this rose has been through a lot. It has thorns and requires nearly constant attention-" she looked sharply at Laura for a moment "-but it blooms most unexpectedly when given a chance. Its beauty surprises. The thorns aren't so important when that happens."

"I believe you have just compared me to flora," Laura said after a few moments.

Ororo laughed and picked up her pruning shears. "Very well, I will stop the sentimentality. Make yourself useful and prune the new plants, they are growing very quickly."

Laura popped her blades out and set to using violence against vegetables while Ororo worked. The sun was shining brightly through the glass ceiling. The panels that opened were letting a warm summer breeze into the room that made the hanging flowers, already flowing over the sides of their pots, spin gently. And for Laura, working silently while Ororo hummed quietly from across the room, everything was as it should be.


End file.
